Oshi No Ko Season 2 Episode 4 Review: Past Comes To Haunt

The 4th episode of this series had some darker tones but also some hopeful angles. Let’s see how episode 4 unfolded.

Oshi No Ko Season 2 Episode 3 Recap

Today’s episode begins with Ruby revelling in her newfound celebrity status at school. However, a conversation with her friends makes her realize that her fame pales in comparison to theirs. Determined to elevate her status, she asks her company CEO for more work. Yet, a significant issue looms: Komachi B, her group, can’t function without their lead singer, Kana.

Kana returns due to delays caused by a conflict between the scriptwriter and the manga writer of her live-action project. Through Kana, we learn that Aqua has gone on a date with Akari, who aims to spark his love for theatre. They watch a live-action adaptation of a sports story, which Aqua surprisingly enjoys. He is fascinated by the director’s and scriptwriter’s use of the setup and projections, as well as the 360° rotating audience seating, which enhances the immersive experience.

This experience leads Aqua to understand the challenges manga writers face in grasping theatre dynamics. He realizes that Abiko, the manga writer, will never match the skill of Goa, a seasoned scriptwriter adept at engaging a theatre audience. Determined to address this, Aqua approaches someone close to Abiko.

Oshi No Ko Season 2 Episode 4 Review

Today’s episode begins with Abiko sensei going to watch the stage play that Aqua recommended to her. After witnessing it, she finally realises how different it is from a manga. Here, she also meets Raida, the man responsible for both of the stage plays. At first, he reluctantly asks Abiko sensei what she thinks about the play, and after hearing her positive response, he gets the courage to give her a taste of reality.

He quits his pleading attitude and tells her upfront, that the way it is difficult for a writer to suddenly become a great manga artist, it will also be difficult for her to become a great scriptwriter overnight. Hence, as they will have to agree with whatever Abiko sensei will write, she will also have to take full responsibility for the outcome. If the production becomes bad, she will be the one everyone will blame. And as someone who is responsible for the jobs of multiple people, Raida wants Abiko to understand the situation.

Thankfully, Abiko was mature enough to get his point, and finally, she agreed to work in tandem with Goa. They do a Skype meeting and edit the article live while discussing things. Even though most of the time, when two creators meet, things can go south pretty early, here things go very well. Both the creators are geniuses in their own fields, and they catch each other’s critiques and preferences readily. Abiko, even accepts that she has become a fan of Goa after witnessing his written stage play.

But the second half of this episode was a lot more psychological as we dive deep into the psyche of Aqua. When a scene comes where the play on emotion becomes absolutely necessary, we see our hero struggle with his acting. However, things become worse when an acting prompt from Kana reminds him of his dead mother.

The ability to not act properly and the PTSD from the time when he couldn’t save his one true love, Ai, makes Aqua go into shock. How he handles the situation and what happens towards the end is something that you will have to see for yourself.

Verdict

We received another solid episode from this series, and I have only good things to say about this. Here, we see very strong characters who are not at all one-dimensional, and their volatile emotions remind us every time how complex humans can be. Hopefully, Aqua will be able to get closure soon and move on from his trauma.

Must Read: Oshi No Ko Season 2 Episode 3 Review: How Manga Writing Works